Explosive and process of making same.



I1 TE srrns PATENT OFFICE.

FIN SPARRE, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, ASSIGNOR TO THE E. I. DU PONT DE NEMOURS POWDER COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A COR- PORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 16, 1907.

Application filed January 25, 1907. Serial No. 353,965.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FIN SPARRE, a subject oftheIfing of Norway, residing at Wilmington, county of Newcastle, and State of Delaware, have invented a new and useful Imp/fovement in Explosives and Processes of 1 aking Same, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

In a patent issued to me February 20, 1906, No. 812,958, I have described an ammonium-nitrate metallic explosive containing ungelatinized nitrocellulose which is safe, non-freezing, and capable of being compressed without loss of detonating force. In an application filed by me October 24, 1905, Serial No. 284,152, I have described a composition for making such safety explosive waterproof and the process of making such composition. In an application filed by me May 31, 1906, Serial No. 319,491, I have described such a waterproof safety explosive and the process of making same. In an application filed by me November 28, 1905, Serial No. 289,422, I have described an improved rocess of incor orating the ingredients 0 such waterproo safety explosive.

The present invention relates to an improved composition embodying the inventions of said patents and the process of making said composition.

The following is an example of my improved composition and process: Ammonium nitrate, fifty parts, is mixed at an elevated temperaturesay 90 centigrade with a previously-melted mixture consisting of dinitrobenzin, eight arts, and mononitrobenzin, two parts. After a half hours intimate mixing, preferably in a rolling-mill in a steam-jacketed pan, the mass is allowed to cool. This mass may be called mixture No. 1. Potassium nitrate, twenty parts; ferrosilicon, ten parts, and nitrocellulose, ten arts, are incorporated without artificial heat or one hour, preferably in an ordinary rolling-mill or pulverizing-barrel. This mass may be called mixture No. 2. Mixtures Nos. 1 and 2 are finally incorporated together without artificial heat for another hour, preferably in an ordinary mill or pulverizin -barrel. In p ace of dinitrobenzin any other solid nit'ro compound of a hydrocarbon will be found more or less efficient. In place of mononitrobenzin any other li uid nit-r0 compound of a hydrocarbon wil be found more or less eflicient. In place of potassium nitrate any other non-hygroscopic nitrate, such as nitrate of barium, may be employed. In place of ferrosilicon may be employed a metal such as aluminum or any metallic alloy or any sulfid, carbid, or silicid of a metal that will physically and chemically act as a metal to raise the temperature of combustion, and thus act as quickening agents to increase the force and velocity of the explosion. In place ,of nitrocellulose may be employed nitrostarch, nitromannite, or other solid organic nitrates performing sensitizing functions. The resultant composition forms an excellent explosive for general blasting purposes. It is waterproof, almost non-hygroscopic, non-freezing, absolutely safe, and possesses great strength.

While ammonium nitrate is hygroscopic, it is in this explosive coated with a non-crys tallized waterproof mixture which tends to repel moisture and water. The explosive really consists of two physically-mixed or independent parts, one part comprising the coated and protected ammonium nitrate and the other part comprising the sensitizing agent, the metallic ingredient, and the nonhygroscopic oxygen-carrier. By the force of the detonating charge of fulminate the second part of the owder is caused to detonate, which in turn etonates the first or remaining part of the powder.

T e essential part of the invention consists in employing as the base of the powder ammonium nitrate having a waterproof coating incorporated with the mixture .of a sensitizing agent, a metallic ingredient, (or ingredient acting as a metal,) and a non-hygroscopic oxygen-carrier that is not coated. If a quick and powerful explosive is desired, the metallic ingredient should be intimately incorporated with the non-hygroscopic oxygen-carrier, with which mixture the sensitizing agent should be intimately incorporated. The ingredients will not, however, if the proportion of the sensitizing agent is within proper limits (twenty-five per cent. as a maximum) for a safe and economical explosive, form a detonating explosive Without ammonium nitrate.

The use of my improved composition is not necessarily restricted to blasting, but may be employed, for example, as a shell-bursting charge. As an example of a composition suitable for a shell-bursting charge the following may be mentioned: Ammonium nitrate, forty-five parts, is incorporated for one hour at an elevated temperature with a melted mixture of mononitrotoluol, two

Having now fully described my invention,

what I claim, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is-

1. An explosive comprising a mixture of ammonium nitrate and a waterproof coating therefor, incorporated with a mixture of a solid, uncoated, non-hygroscopic inorganic oxidizing agent, ferrosilicon, and a nitrated organic sensitizing agent, substantially as described.

2. An explosive comprising a mixture of ammonium nitrate and a waterproof coating therefor containing a nitro compound of a hydrocarbon, incorporated with a mixture of a solid, uncoated non-hygroscopic inorganic oxidizing agent, ferrosilicon, and a nitrated organic sensitizing agent, substantially as described.

3. An explosive comprising a mixture of ammonium nitrate and a waterproof coatin therefor containing a solid nitro compound of a hydrocarbon and a liquid nitro com pound of a hydrocarbon, incorporated with a mixture of a solid, uncoated, non-hygroscopic inorganic oxygen carrier,-ferrosilicon, and a nitrated organic sensitizing agent, substantially as described.

4:. An explosive comprising a mixture of ammonium nitrate and a waterproof coating therefor containing a solid nitro compound of a hydrocarbon and aliquid nitro compound of a hydrocarbon, incorporated with a mixture of ungelatinized nitrocellulose, ferrosilicon and uncoated potassium nitrate, substantially as described.

5. An explosive comprising a waterproof coating mixture containing a liquid nitro compound of a hydrocarbon less than five per cent. and a solid nitro compound of a hydrocarbon five to'fifteen per cent., ammonium nitrate less than sixty-five per cent. incorporated therewith, and a mixture containing a nitrated organic sensitizing agent five to twenty-five per cent., ferrosilicon five to twenty per cent. and uncoated potassium nitrate ten to forty per cent., substantially as described.

6. An explosive comprising a mixture of ammonium nitrate less than sixty-five per cent., a waterproof coating therefor six to twentyper cent., incorporated with a mixture of a solid, uncoated, non-hygroscopic, inorganic oxidizing agent ten to forty per cent., ferrosilicon five to twenty per cent. and a nitrated organic sensitizing agent five to twenty-five per cent., substantially as described.

7. An explosive comprising a mixture of ammonium nitrate less than sixty-five per cent., a waterproof coating therefor six to twenty per cent. containing a nitro com pound of a hydrocarbon, incorporated with a mixture of a solid,uncoated,non-hygroscopic inorganic oxidizin agent ten to forty per cent., ferrosilicon five to twenty per cent. and a nitrated organic sensitizing agent five to twenty-five per cent., substantially as described.

8. An explosive comprising a waterproof coating mixture containing a liquid nitro compound of a hydrocarbon less than five per cent. and a solid'nitro compound of a hydrocarbon five to fifteen per cent., ammonium nitrate less than sixty-five per cent. incorporated therewith, and a mixture containing a nitrated organic sensitizing agent five to twenty-five per cent., ferrosilicon five to twenty per cent. and a solid, uncoated, non-hygroscopic, inorganic oxidizing agent ten to forty per cent., substantially as described.

9. The process of making an ammoniumnitrate metallic explosive containing a nitrated organic sensitizing agent which consists in incorporating ammonium nitrate with a waterproof coating ingredient, separately incorporating ferrosilicon and the sensitizing agent with a solid, uncoated, nonhygroscopic, inorganic oxidizing agent, and then incorporatin the two mixtures, substantially as described.

10. The process of making an ammoniumnitrate metallic explosive containing a nitrated organic sensitizing agent which con sists in incorporating ammonium nitrate with a waterproof coating ingredient containing a nitro compound of a hydrocarbon, separately incorporating ferrosilicon and the sensitizing agent with a solid, uncoated, nonhygroscopic, inorganic oxidizing agent, and then incorporating the two mixtures, substantially as described.

11. The process of making an ammoniumnitrate metallic explosive containing a nitrated organic sensitizing agent which consists in incorporating ammonium nitrate with a liquid nitro compound of a hydrocarbon and a solid nitro compound of a hydrocarbon, separately incorporating ferrosilicon and the sensitizing agent with a solid, un-

- coated non-hygroscopic, inorganic oxidizing agent, and then incorporating the two mixtures, substantially as described.

12. The process of making an ammoniumnitrate metallic explosive containing ungelatinized nitrocellulose Which consists in hereunto set my hand, at Philadelphia, on

incorporatting ammonium dnitrate with 1a this 24th day of January, 1907.

Waterproo coating ingre ient, separate y incorporating the nitrocellulose, ferrosilicon FIN SPARRE' and potassium nitrate, and then incorporating Witnesses I the two mixtures, substantially as described. M. M. HAMILTON,

In testimony of Which invention I have A. M. URIAN. 

